Online surveys and show business

Online surveys and show business

Surveys affect the TV and film industry all the time. Producers, screenwriters and directors are constantly looking for viewer feedback to drive their decisions in creating the best on-screen experience.

Why is that? Because ticket sales, product purchases and advertising dollars are at stake. If an audience doesn't react well to the events of a commercial, show or movie they're less likely to tune in. That has a direct effect on the amount of money that piece of entertainment makes.

The rise of the test audience
So what does that mean for movies? Are scriptwriters really at the mercy of an audience or viewers? Does your surveyed response truly have the power to change a story completely? The short answer is yes, and those surveys - otherwise known as test audiences - have already had an enormous impact on your movie-watching experience.

In the original version of "E.T.," that lovable extraterrestrial never made it back home. According to CNN, he ended up dying on American soil. That is, until that ending didn't sit well with the test audiences. Oddly enough, "E.T." didn't test well with any audience at all, fixed ending or not, yet it still went on to become one of the highest grossing movies of its time.

When the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise, "Terminator Salvation," was being made, a part of the script leaked that tested so poorly with audiences that they changed the entire ending to the movie, according to io9. There were two options for the original version. Both included John Connor dying and being replaced by a machine with his face.

There are dozens of examples of popular shows and movies changing drastically due to test audience reactions - from simple laugh lines to entire blocks of script, scenes and dialogue. In fact, if you're ever wondering why the movie or television version of something is different from the book or comic (does "Game of Thrones" ring any bells?) you may want to point fingers at the test audience instead of the writers.

Your online surveys have the same effect
The opinions of the many have a tremendous impact on more than movies, shows and commercials. They change the very products you interact with on a daily basis. That's why you might want to consider filling out some paid surveys yourself. It just might just make the difference necessary to adding a much-needed upgrade to one of your favorite devices.

Think of it this way, if audiences didn't speak up, you may have been sitting through E.T.'s funeral at the end of the little guy's big adventure, or you might not have the opportunity to see "Terminator Genisys" in the near future. Your opinions keep adorable aliens alive and bloodthirsty robots from conquering the world, so keep at it.

Why sign up?

Nobody's voice is as powerful as yours. As a consumer, you are uniquely positioned to share your perspective with businesses, telling them what you expect in order for them to receive your money in a transaction. So, why not make money online by taking surveys that provide information to your favorite company?